Messaging and Storytelling: Becoming Your

Community’s “Golden Child” Nonprofit

Southwest Colorado Rural Philanthropy Days

Thursday, September 13, 2018, Cortez, CO

Presented by Illene Roggensack and Stacy Beaugh, Third Sector Innovations

Grand Junction - Durango - Littleton

970.314.3970 thirdsec@earthlink.net thirdsectoronline.com

What is the “Golden Child” organization in your community, and why do you believe it has this status?

The Most Friends Wins!

• Charitable giving by American individuals, bequests, foundations and corporations to U.S. charities estimated at $410.02 billion in 2017, 70% was from individuals (Giving USA 2018)

• 25% of Americans volunteer (Corporation for National and Community Service 2015)

• People want to be a part of a winning team

• People give to organizations that are successful

Top reasons donors do not repeat their gifts to a specific organization:• Feel that other causes are more deserving - 26.5%

• Can no longer afford to support organization - 22.3%

• Don’t remember ever supporting organization - 11.4%

• Still support organization by other means- 6.8%

• Moved to a new community - 6.7%

• Found organization’s communications inappropriate - 3.6%

• Did not receive giving reminder - 3.3%

• Were asked for an inappropriate amount - 3.1%

• Were not informed of how money was used - 1.7%

• Believe organization no longer needs personal support -1.2%

Effective Promotions Are…

• A Way of “Doing Business”• Budgeted – financially and with human/time resources• Researched and Designed • Strategic - frequent and consistent contact with select

audiences• Flexible • “Reach out” AND bring people in! • Evaluated

Have a brand and a plan!

What is a brand? What does it do?• The process of creating a unique name and image

in the stakeholder’s mind, establishing a significant and differentiated presence that attracts and retains stakeholders

• Just one component of your communications plan

• Improves recognition

• Creates trust – shows you have your act together

• Motivates your team

• Withstands time

What is our image? Who do we want to be?• Professional Friendly Visionary

• Leaders Diverse Resourceful

• Stable/Secure Trustworthy Helpful

• Enthusiastic Responsive Wise

• Timely Creative Competent

• Of Integrity Fun Heroes

• Knowledgeable Courageous Vital

Example – Colorado Riverfront Commission

Research and Input• Do you even need a new brand or just improved

strategies for your existing one?

• Seek input and ensure buy-in from appropriate parties

• What sets you apart and is unique to your organization?

Consistency

• Brand use policy • Makes it easy for

staff or volunteers

• Create a media kit for easy sharing

• Ideas• Website

• Letterhead

• Reports

• FaceBook

• Photos

Your Website is Your Foundation

• The “go to” place for information on events, programs, mission• Website has replaced the brochure

• All marketing roads lead to the website

• Brings credibility

• Keep it up to date

• Keep it secure

• Integrate your brand

• Budget adequately

You’ve got your brand – how do you get it out there? • Start with identifying your goals for your

communication strategy• Fundraising

• Public Awareness

• Donor/Funder Recognition

• Volunteer Recruitment

• Budget

• Time availability

Audience

• Identifiable

• Defined/Selected

• Targeted

• Reachable

• Able to respond

Message – What are you trying to say?• Succinct

• Simple

• Limited

• Targeted

• Includes a Call to Action

Storytelling Your Pitch

• Tell a story, don’t just make a pitch

• A good story causes the listener to be invested in the outcome

• Understand your audience

• Goals: • Generate interest• Inspire a personal connection• Create trust• Motivate action

Why Stories? • Stories help us remember.

• When you have facts you want people to remember, it’s much more likely they will be remembered if you contain those facts within a story.

• Stories influence how we decide. • In 1990 a study was done on how people on juries came to

conclusions. According to the study, most construct a story based on the facts offered in the case. Then they compared the stories they constructed with the stories the lawyers presented. The jurist would side with whoever's story matched their own the closest.

• Stories link us to our sense of generosity. • Studies also show that donors tend to give twice as much

when presented with a story about an affected individual as opposed to reading huge abstract numbers of the overall scope of a problem.

From Network for Good

Tips and tricks…

• Likable and relatable characters

• To take the reader on a journey

• To appeal to the reader’s emotions

• Be authentic

• Pretend your talking to a friend or neighbor

• Make your audience the hero (call to action)

• Make information memorable by relating to real world examples

• Use media (photos, video) to complement the words

Every story needs…

Delivery

• Choose from variety of methods available (strengths and weaknesses to each)

• Community/external environment, Audience and Message Help to Determine

• Customize, create a content strategy

• Consider timing, schedules

Unique Opportunities for Nonprofits -Direct Communication

• E-newsletters and mail

• People want to hear about your work – they are passionate about it

• Tailor message specifically to donors – show how you spent their money

• Completely customizable

• Databases can track data on who opens and frequency

• Can track how often readers click through to your website

• In-expensive

Unique Opportunities – Social Media• Facebook, Instagram, Linked-In, Twitter, etc

• So many options, some will fit better than others and can often complement each other

• Direct way to cross-communicate with sponsors and supporters

• Paid advertising can be targeted to specific audiences

• Cost is as little or as much as the budget allows

• Creativity in content development and media type (video, text, pictures)

• Option to accurately plan and schedule when content is delivered

Unique Opportunities – Mass Media• Television, radio, newspaper

• Opportunities to maximize budget

• In-kind donation of media spots or discounts on buys

• PSAs or press releases are often “picked-up” because of community-interest

• Community columns and event boards are often available to nonprofits

• Paid advertising online and internet-radio can be targeted

Feedback/Response

• Make it Easy to Say “Yes”

• Follow Up in Timely Manner

• Deliver on Promises

Evaluation Tools

• Google Analytics

• Database

• Questionnaires and surveys

• Direct feedback

• Add marketing effectiveness question to all your evals

Where Do We Start?!? Strategy!

• Research

• Design

• Plan/Budget

• Implement

• Evaluate

Thank youfor your participationin today’s session!